I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the thrust of a new West Michigan listicle mention from Forbes magazine, which included Holland on a list of "America’s Prettiest Towns."

Slipped in the list at No. 14 (although there’s no indication of a ranked order), Holland was cited for its colorful spring festival by Kendra Williams, travel editor for Midwest Living magazine, consulted for the travel piece.

“North of Chicago and located on Lake Michigan’s eastern shores, Holland attracts visitors year-round with wide beaches, a lively arts scene, shops that celebrate Dutch culture, and even a sidewalk snowmelt system that keeps downtown’s streets dry during those cold, wet Lake Michigan winter days.”

According to Forbes writer John Giuffo, the roundup of picturesque locales considered elements like the Main Street charm factor, abundance of activities and the feel of authenticity.

“Of course, 'prettiest' is subjective, and there are many other towns around the country that would fit the bill — but we chose 15 that we think would not only stand out in a beauty pageant, but also provide great options for your next getaway,” he wrote.

The Forbes list follows some other recent national media attention for Holland.

The city was the first stop on The Atlantic correspondent James Fallows’ “American Futures” series, in which the former speechwriter visited the Padnos Inc. scrapyard and compared the city’s resurgent manufacturing sector to Detroit, where manufacturing has left and the city is in bankruptcy.

Garret Ellison covers business, government and breaking news for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at gellison@mlive.com or follow on Twitter.